CBS duo land maximum points

Maximum point scoring Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar duo Stephen Connolly and Yemi Soile were among a number of high achievers at the Mullingar school in this year's Leaving Certificate results, with both young men earning 6 A1s for their efforts.Stephen (18), a son of Gerry and Caroline Connolly, Ballinafid, Multyfarnham, is hoping to study Medicine at University College, Dublin (his first choice) after bagging 6 A1s, an A2 and a B1. He is a former pupil of Scoil Mhuire CBS National School, Mullingar.Nineteen year old Yemi, a son of Dipo and Adun Soile, Stonebridge Park, Rochfortbridge, took on six subjects for his Leaving Cert, and delivered A1 results in each one.A repeat student, he notched up 505 points last year's exam, and decided to do it all over again - a decision which paid off spectacularly.A native of Nigeria, Yemi is a former student of Confey College in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, where his family lived for two years."You have to know your own strengths, and work with them," Yemi said, offering his advice to future Leaving Cert candidates."But you must also understand your weakness, and not let them pull you down. You have to work harder with your weaker subjects to try and get them on a par with your strengths as best as possible.""Do subjects that interest you," Stephen added. "If you're science-inclined, do plenty of science related subjects."It's important that you have good teachers too, and we had no shortage of them here."The CBS graduates hope to pursue a variety of disciplines at different colleges and universities, but teaching is a popular career choice among them, with a notable number seeking places at NUI Maynooth.Two students, Adam Corcoran and Conor Brennan, both scored over the 400 point mark, and hope to study Arts at NUIM; another two, Niall Folan and Colin Dunne, hope to pursue science studies at the Kildare university, while Aidan Dunleavy also hopes to get a place there.High achievers Cormac Murray and Cathal Coyle hope to study Architecture (DIT Bolton Street) and Actuary studies (UCD) respectively, while Conal Doherty (engineering) and Val Connell (teaching) aim for a place at the University of Limerick.Dean Heffernan and Ciaran Dowling where chuffed with their results, and are set to head for Athlone IT, while Jarek Jazek is seeking a place at Dublin Institute of Technology.Some will repeat next year, and some, like high achieving student Greg Mimnagh-Dunne, are weighing up their options. Greg may choose to pursue an Animal Science degree, or he might take a year out.Coláiste Mhuire principal Joe O'Meara said that he was delighted with the results delivered by the class of 2009, remarking that the outgoing Leaving Certs had performed excellently in their junior certificate examinations."It's great credit to them, they're a lovely group of lads, and their family and teachers have to pay credit to them," Mr. O'Meara told the Westmeath Examiner."They did a fabulous job, and the supports of the parents was really appreciated by the school over the past five years."Mr. O'Meara said that the high standard or results earned by the students would make the world their oyster over the coming years."Teaching seems to be back in vogue in a big way, and a lot of them want to do it. But most of them can do whatever they want because of the fabulous results they want," he said.